March saw the arrival of Sleep Awareness Week in the US (from March 14th-20th), World Sleep Day on March 19th and National Bed Month in the UK. Multiple reasons for us to celebrate one of the most natural and instinctual healing powers within us as human beings: Sleep.

The link between sleep and inclusion may not be obvious to most. But sleep is one of the most necessary and powerful tools to sustain us when we are faced with everyday oppression and marginalisation. And yet it can be the most evasive, for the exact same reasons. There is a growing body of research that links sleep disparity to the experiences of being ‘othered’ and excluded. Sleep is more than just a side-interest for us at The Other Box. It is one of the key pillars to the advancement of every single person working towards creating a better world.

Sleep deprivation

The condition of not getting enough sleep, either in duration and/or in quality, to support one’s health and wellbeing. 

The body needs sleep, just as it needs air and food to function at its best. During sleep, the body heals itself and restores its chemical balance. The brain forges new thought connections and helps memory retention. Without enough sleep and quality of sleep our brains and body systems can’t function optimally. (Source: Healthline) 

Yet many of us de-prioritise sleep – intentionally or unintentionally. Around the world, we live in an ‘always-on’ culture, where we’re overworked and attached to our technology. Our smartphones are the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing we look at before sleep. This impacts our quality of sleep.  

For those who have been working from home during the pandemic – with many using bedrooms as a makeshift home office – the boundaries between work and home have been blurred. 

The pandemic has also brought about a host of other anxieties and a need to juggle many responsibilities that has negatively impacted our ability to sleep well and is ultimately not sustainable. 

Sleep deprivation has been a concern for marginalised people for years before the pandemic hit: “Being overworked is a global issue, but it disproportionately affects marginalised people whose sleep deprivation often leads to health complications like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Naps are actually productive and life-changing. They provide a visionary space to reimagine, reinvent, innovate for the future, and heal from the past.” (Source: The Nap Ministry via Hemispheres mag for United Airlines)

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.

Almost everyone will deal with sleep problems at some point in their lives. The point at which these problems turn into insomnia will differ for everyone. Some people will be able to break the cycle and return to regular sleep patterns, others will find themselves trapped in a cycle of insomnia. (Source: Stress.org.uk)

When it comes to cures for insomnia many link it to unhealthy lifestyle and sleep habits. But if we choose to look at the interconnectedness of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, we may begin to see how, for many, insomnia is a symptom of something much bigger than a ‘lifestyle’ issue.

In other words, it is important to see the relation between insomnia and systemic oppression. Police brutality, environmental injustice, racial discrimination, and limited employment and economic opportunities are just some of the factors that not only create marginalisation, but also contribute to health disparity, which can often, in turn, lead to sleep disparity.

For example, there is a disproportionately high number of BIPOC people working in low-paid jobs, multiple jobs and shift-work, which impacts their quality and availability of sleep. The lack of sleep can in turn affect someone’s physical and mental health, which can further affect a person’s sleep, their quality of life and even their ability to do their job well.

In this context, insomnia as a symptom of systemic oppression becomes a self-perpetuating cycle that can be difficult to break. It creates a greater divide between those who have access to sleep, and those who do not; those who are marginalised, and those who are not.

While the cure for insomnia is far more complex than ‘prioritise sleep’, a deeper understanding of insomnia in this context could make a big difference in terms of creating a holistic and sustainable plan for a path to wellbeing.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea (or ‘apnoea’ as it’s sometimes spelled) is a condition where breathing becomes interrupted or obstructed during sleep.

People with sleep apnea have multiple extended pauses in breath when they sleep. Sometimes 15-50 times an hour. These temporary pauses in breathing affect the body’s supply of oxygen. The lack of oxygen can have potentially serious health consequences. (Source: Sleep Foundation)

There are three types of sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is when throat muscles relax and become physically blocked or narrowed, which causes temporary pause in breath. Central sleep apnea (CSA) happens when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing, which leads to slower and shallower breathing. Mixed sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea is when a person has both OSA and CSA at the same time. (Source: Sleep Foundation)

If you find yourself – without explanation – feeling overtired and excessively sleepy during the day, wake with headaches, have an irritable mood, and have a limited attention span or difficulty thinking clearly, sleep apnea could be a contributing factor.

Many of these symptoms appear because of poor sleep and decreased oxygen levels as a result of interrupted breathing. Yet many don’t realise it could be sleep apnea, so it can go untreated for years, affecting quality of life and overall health.

While sleep is a physical function, there is growing research that connects external factors, such as lower socioeconomic status, and social inequity (such as being minoritised because of ethnicity, age or gender) with the potential of having worse health outcomes when it comes to OSA. (Source: National Centre for Biotechnology Information)

Oxygen is life-sustaining. When we’re deprived of it during sleep, the deprivation can have knock-on effects in every part of our lives, from our physical, mental and emotional health, to our relationships, our work, our joy. Therefore it’s important to recognise sleep apnea so it can be treated.

Sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a set of habits that help create the ideal conditions for healthy, consistent and uninterrupted sleep.

Good sleep hygiene is important because of how crucial getting good sleep is for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Our behaviors during the day – not just before we go to bed – can affect how well we sleep. Food and drink choices, schedule, evening routine, and many other activities all play a part in someone’s ability to sleep. (Source: Healthline)

Sleep hygiene can be best thought of as a set of habits, rather than a checklist of rules for everyone to follow. It’s about raising your self-awareness and understanding your individual needs, rhythms and sensitivities, rather than depending entirely on external forces to tell you what’s good for you.

If you’re unsure of where to begin with sleep hygiene, there are some general guidelines you could follow to start figuring out what works best for you. For example, pre-bedtime rituals like winding down, lowering the lights and disconnecting from devices for at least 30 minutes before you intend to sleep can contribute to healthy sleep hygiene. (Source: Sleep foundation)

Many people believe that the bedroom environment and the way its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights, and furniture arrangement. (Source: Healthline)

Some would pay much more for designer clothing than they would for a good quality pillow and mattress. But when we spend such a large proportion of our lives sleeping, and when sleep contributes so greatly to our overall health and wellbeing, it’s worth investing in bedding that will lead to better quality of sleep.

As humans, we’ve evolved in a time that predates electricity and smartphones, or the daily stresses of working within capitalism and systemic oppression. Focusing on our sleep hygiene can help counteract the pressures of modern life.

Part of our mission at The Other Box is to educate as many people as possible in the language of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). On all our social channels, we share weekly words and their definitions, with a different theme each month.

These terms are a taster and have been taken from our Diversity Dictionary™ module in our Know Your Bias™ course. If you'd like to learn more, check out our courses page and fill in the contact form. 

Is there a theme you’d like to see covered in Diversity Dictionary? Let us know! Our work is co-created by our community to work towards creating a world that is more inclusive and safe for everyone.

Words by Roshni Goyate

Header image by Paola Franco on Unsplash